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BizBuzz Student's receipt of merit award is "totally unexpected." Wili Ciobotea didn’t even know he was in the running for a scholarship from Financial Executives International (FEI). So he was pleasantly surprised when his finance professor, Constantine “Gus” Kalogeras, who nominated him for the award, called to let him know that he’d be getting a $1,000 check to help with school expenses. “I was taken aback,” Ciobotea said.
The Romanian-born business student explains that the extra money has been really helpful. A full-time accounting student with a double major in finance who expects to graduate in 2008, Ciobotea earns some money from an online business he started selling domain names, web hosting, email accounts, and other related services, but explains that’s “only enough to pay the bills and meet monthly expenses.” “So anything extra is great,” he said. Ciobotea, who holds a 4.0 GPA, was thrilled at the prospect of attending the awards dinner with his professor. “It was a great opportunity for me to connect with business leaders from Miami, especially as I get ready to graduate and look for a job,” he said. “I also was able to hear presentations on the business climate in the city and learn more about an organization in which I am interested in becoming involved.” FEI serves as premier association for financial professionals. FEI is a trade association for financial professionals that runs networking events, holds educational seminars and meetings, and conducts advocacy on a range of business and regulatory issues pertinent to those working in the corporate financial sector. The group of 15,000 members has a national headquarters and more than 74 chapters in the United States, including one in South Florida. Ciobotea’s award, which was granted by the South Florida chapter, recognizes students with outstanding academic achievement, strong leadership potential, and professional attributes. Faculty members at FEI-designated institutions nominate one student per school. Ciobotea wants to stay involved with FEI because he thinks it will be a great way to stay informed about timely business issues and connect with other finance professionals working in Miami. He hopes to go into banking and says he’s always been passionate about working with numbers, something that was reinforced during the six months he worked on the floor of the newly established Romanian stock exchange, an experience he describes as “thrilling.” “As someone who grew up in a communist country, it was incredible to be able to work at the stock exchange and be at the center of all the economic changes that were taking place,” he said. The experience made him resolved to move to the United States so he could study finance, an option not available to him in his homeland. “There are endless possibilities in the United States” Ciobotea said. “Being in a top-notch accounting program like the one at Florida International University will provide me with so many professional options that I never would have had back home in Romania.” |
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